The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted to advance a compromise proposal to reform the National Security Agency’s warrantless surveillance program, the first of many hurdles the delicately crafted legislation will face before the program expires at the end of the year.
The so-called USA Liberty Act passed on a 27-8 vote — but a fierce dispute over privacy protections in the bill has made its future on the House floor far from certain.
An amendment from Reps. Ted Poe (R-Texas) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), which would have stiffened privacy requirements, failed 12-21 on Wednesday, after committee leaders warned it would sink the underlying bill.
And the House Freedom Caucus has already positioned itself to oppose the bill on the floor for not going far enough to curtail what members say is an unacceptable breach of Fourth Amendment protections.
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